Lisa Bittar, Bain & Company Dubai
Tenure at Bain: 7 months
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Undergraduate Institution and Major: American University of Beirut, B.E. Civil Engineering
ESCP Europe, Masters in International Project Management
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 3.5 years in strategy consulting, 1.5 in engineering consultancy
Business School and Class Year: INSEAD, 2018
What advice do you wish you had received while in business school?
There are not “right” or “wrong” educational and career path choices. This advice would have been very valuable during business school, and would have helped to reduce my stress overall. Building one’s career is like a puzzle where every piece and every experience is critical to complete the overall picture. A key driver for success is understanding how to best leverage your experiences in order to develop and grow different aspects of your skills and attributes.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career?
“Always ask questions, someone might have done it before you.” It’s advice I was given when I started my consulting career, which has proven valuable ever since. One of the advantages of working for a global consulting company is that you get to learn from colleagues, and their past experiences, from all around the world. Asking for input from colleagues can both save you time and introduce you to new approaches to problem solving.
What lesson(s) about your internship and/or job search would you pass on to current MBA students?
While meticulous preparation and practice are critical to secure your desired job in an increasingly competitive environment, I have learned two other important lessons throughout the process:
The first is to keep an open mind while considering job options. The MBA is a great opportunity to explore, ask questions and discover new areas before narrowing the target list. Try to leverage various channels including your alumni network, classes, classmates, friends, professors, events and company presentations among others.
Secondly, the job application and interview process is an opportunity to confirm and test one’s real career interests and aspirations. Always remember that interviews are a two-way assessment exercise. It’s important to remember that you are looking to work with people who you respect and appreciate.
Describe a typical day on your current case at Bain.
My current case is focused on digital transformation within a financial services company. Our role on this project is to help the business translate their requirements into digital capabilities and implement these capabilities across the organization. Every day is unique, requiring a mix of soft skills as well as analytical skills, to help the client plan, coordinate, facilitate and implement these digital transformation initiatives.
Planning involves the development of a digital roadmap, translating business needs into digital capabilities and identifying activities required to complete different initiatives. Coordination and facilitation involves interactions with several internal and external entities—business departments, technology providers and others. This ensures all relevant parties are well informed, connected and equipped to complete key tasks. Lastly, supporting the implementation requires monitoring progress and helping resolve any roadblocks to ensure successful delivery.
What is your morning routine?
I usually value my morning sleep time and prefer late nights to early days. That said, my mornings are usually very rushed: quick breakfast & coffee on the go before heading to the client office. I like to use my 30-minute morning commute to catch up on news headlines or social media, and get a head start on planning the day ahead at work. I typically develop a to-do list for my associate and myself, which I enjoy ticking off with colorful highlighters throughout the day.
How do you unwind after a long day?
After long hours of work, and when I still have some free time before sleeping, I usually choose one of two seemingly contradictory unwinding options. My first option is to work out: I love HIIT, spinning and boxing classes that involve strength as well as cardio exercises. But my preferred option is to watch a TV series while eating crisps and popcorn—my favorite snack. I have been lately keen to finish watching all seasons of The Blacklist, and I am always looking for new interesting shows to watch.
